Things were finally back to normal after fixing a problem that was, ultimately, a byproduct of my own doing. Life as a Dungeon Master was back on track.
No longer deterred by my ambushing Death Paladins and Shadow Specters, invaders were once again back on the menu. Occasionally, a few peons would show up, but I had long since decided to ignore their existence. After four attempts, they eventually stopped coming altogether.
That was dozens of invasions ago, so much so that I could now consider it a thing of the past. My routine had returned to what it once was: repelling invasion after invasion and improving between each cycle, whether that meant strengthening my spawns or expanding my domain.
I kept my baiting strategy in place, even though the situation that had prompted it had already improved. The strategy was simple: posting weak spawns near the entrance, ones that could be easily defeated to instill a false sense of confidence in invaders.
To further tempt them, I equipped these spawns with weapons and gear scavenged from previous invasions. A nice sword for one. A sturdy shield for another. Maybe even a staff here and there. Each victory would lure them deeper and deeper into my domain.
Once they crossed a certain threshold, though… well, that’s where my old Shadow Specter strategy kicked in. No escape. No turning back.
Beyond that, my days consisted of skimming through monster catalogs, waiting for the next invasion cycle. So far, I had gone through seventeen of them.
So yeah, life was good. No, this existence was good.
When I first became a Dungeon Master, I used to wonder what my future would look like. Turns out, this is it.
Farming. Yes, farming G.P. There’s no better way to put it.
This is the future and it’ll probably look the same further down the road. Occasionally a little monotonous, sure, but… not bad at all. Though I’d admit there are things I miss.
TV, music, stylish outfits, good food, internet, weapons. I miss these from time to time. But each time I do I instantly realize that lamenting was pointless. Those things were gone. And while I do occasionally think about them, this existence isn’t bad.
Especially compared to that one place.
"Ouh…" Just the thought of it sent a shiver down my spine.
I needed a distraction. Immediately, I opened the interface.
At the moment, I was "idle"—a period that, at this point, is just a period of downtime between invasions. Time I usually spend planning my next investment, new spawns and domain expansions.
And it was during one of these idle moments, as I navigated to the [Spawnable Entities] section, that I noticed something.
Something that I was certain hadn’t been there before.
At first, I considered blaming my memory. But then I quickly dismissed that idea.
I don’t have poor memory.
In fact, in this existence, maybe because my mind wasn’t bound by flesh, my memory was perfect. Photographic quite literally. Recalling something felt less like remembering and more like playing a crystal-clear flashback in my head.
And that meant one thing.
Whatever I had just found, it hadn’t been there before.
It had simply appeared when I wasn’t looking.
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[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawns Catalog
Monsters
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“Mechanical Construct. Pretty sure this was never there.”
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[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawns Catalog
Monsters
Mechanical Constructs
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[ ???'s Interface ]
Monsters
Mechanical Constructs
Automaton Soldiers
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Not only was it never there, but a quick glimpse of what that category was made of made it clear that there wasn't much that this category had to offer compared to the others, which had subcategories under subcategories. This meant that either this category was meant to be this empty, or that it was still updating.
"Updating, huh? I guess that's actually the right word to describe it." The system, subtle as it is, was updating itself, or else how would that category appear on my interface overnight?
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[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawns Catalog
Mechanical Constructs
P-Ritter
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[ ???'s Interface ]
Spawns Catalog
Mechanical Constructs
P-Ritter 01
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The screen before me displayed the stats of a spawn that was obviously modeled after a Verdenkind knight. Its offense and defense were slightly above that of a conventional knight, but even at a glance, it was clear, this was a bad copy-paste.
And even if it was a copy-paste… shouldn't the G.P price at least be the same?
2 G.P for a knight that, from the looks of it, couldn't even be leveled up? What kind of scam was this? There wasn’t even an option to calibrate its level.
Sure, I could admit that stat-wise, this was an upgrade to a normal knight. But that didn’t change the fact that this was daylight robbery.
The same could be said for the three other options. Sketchy pricing, all of them. Two were clearly just reskinned Warrior-class spawns.
While I could appreciate the addition of a new category, I had zero interest in anything it had to offer for the time being. Hopefully, if this subcategory ever got an update, it would come with actual worthwhile options.
As things stood now?
Neither the Automaton Soldiers nor the Clockwork Golems had anything of value to offer. The Clockwork subcategory, in particular, was just… absurd. A bunch of mechanical insect-like creatures with no skills, no abilities, basically, spawns with zero combat capabilities.
In other words? Completely. Useless.
***
It had been several invasions since I first discovered the existence of the Mechanical Constructs subcategory. There had been a few upgrades, mostly in the Automaton Soldiers branch.
Two new additions had appeared in the Automaton Soldier’s bestiary: P-Ritter 02 and P-Krieger 02.
And what was new about them?
Not much.
Well, technically, there was one improvement, these two, which were clear attempts at creating humanoid, robotic versions of a knight and warrior, could finally be leveled up, much like a Verdenkind.
Although… "robotic" might be the wrong word.
They were less true robots and more like what Machine Age-era people in the late 3100s would’ve imagined a robot to be. Cogs, steam, and mechanical joints, not sleek futuristic machines, but more like something from a steampunk fever dream.
Not that my era had true humanoid robots either. If we did, I definitely would’ve gotten myself one. The things I could’ve done with a machine servant…
As I entertained that thought, a question crept into my mind.
Why hadn't I reacted to the existence of robots at all?
The world I had been introduced to through the interface and through the constant waves of invaders was a primeval, or at the very least medieval one. Knights and warriors wielding swords and shields. Mages and sorcerers casting spells with staffs. Angels, demons, undead.
That was the world I had come to know.
So why hadn’t I even blinked at the idea of the existence of robots?
As soon as I asked myself that question, I realized I had just answered it.
Because, in this world, nothing made sense by the standards of my old one.
Anyway… for now, I was still waiting for a real, substantial upgrade in the Mechanical Constructs subcategory.
Sure, P-Ritter 02 and P-Krieger 02 were levelable, but that didn’t change the fact that they cost a fortune to acquire and level up. At least twenty times the price of a regular knight or warrior.
Yes, their offense and defense scaled better, making them objectively stronger than their flesh-made counterparts, but at that price? Not worth it.
So yeah, for now, waiting we are.
I was about to close the interface when I was interrupted by something that, by now, had become a completely normal and casual occurrence, a notification of an incoming invasion.
"Time to get to wor—eh?"
I hadn’t even finished reading the notification when I felt it.
Something was different about this invasion. Different compared to most. Because while different to the usual, I had felt this once before.
That one time.
The lone invader.
And now, once again, I was dealing with another lone invader.
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[ ???'s Interface ]
System Notification
Intrusion Report:
One entity has invaded your dungeon domain. G.P safety compromised.
Suggestion:
Secure G.P, put an end to the invasion.
Intercept and Slay the invaders
Estimated Reward:
- 27082 G.P
- Authorities: Authority Gathering
/ Ethereal Echo
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